The NYSE reviewed the trades and, apparently, the prices of these stocks just fell… really, really hard. CNBC’s Bob Pisani explained this morning that a rash of sell orders weren’t met with enough buyers, until prices plunged. Pisani was also first to note, crucially, that there are no “Limit Up Limit Down” price bands in the first fifteen minutes of trading at the moment — read the rules for yourself here. So the stocks were in free fall.

The NYSE says this afternoon its plan is to let the trades stand but exclude them from record of stocks’ highs and lows:

The NYSE has ruled on its own motion that all trades will stand in AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER (NYSE: AEP) and NEXTRA ENERGY, INC. (NYSE: NEE) between 09:30:00 am and 09:31:00 am ET today. However, all trades in AEP at or below $46.03 between 09:30:00 am and 09:31:00 am and all trades in NEE at or below $76.19 between 09:30:00 am and 09:31:00 am will be marked with an Aberrant Report Indicator (.h).

The NYSE notes that executions at these prices are still valid trades, but they will be excluded from the high and low data disseminated by the Consolidated Tape Association. Accordingly, data vendors and recipients of such data should similarly exclude any trades with the Aberrant Report Indicator from the high and low prices that they calculate for these symbols.

Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) appeared to make it through unscathed, though the yield-rich utility sector has been awfully weak lately at the slightest hint of interest rate increases. The ETF is down 1% this afternoon even as other sectors recover.

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